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Germany’s centre-right CDU and centre-left SPD have formally signed a coalition agreement, clearing the way for Friedrich Merz to become the country’s next chancellor.
The deal, signed on Monday at Berlin’s historic Gasometer, brings together the Christian Democratic Union, its Bavarian sister party the CSU, and the Social Democrats. All three parties had previously approved the 144-page agreement.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Merz said Germany needed a government ready to work “powerfully and systematically from day one”.
The new coalition holds a slim majority in the Bundestag, with 328 of 630 seats. It has pledged to prioritise economic growth, increase defence spending, modernise infrastructure, and adopt a firmer stance on migration.